Our role in furthering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy
Now, more than ever, we have to fight for Dr. King's dream of a society where justice is fully experienced by all, and where every person is treated with dignity and respect.
The following was authored by Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO of Cummins Inc. in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
January 20th is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and it’s a day that always has me reflecting on the state of social justice and fairness in the world. Those reflections are certainly not limited to this one day, however, and I find myself increasingly concerned about these issues, and thinking about ways I can impact and influence the conversation.
Toward the end of last year, I addressed a large group of business, community and civic leaders, and I spoke about how business is a force for good. I framed my remarks around our stakeholder model, how serving the full spectrum of stakeholders has set Cummins up for long-term success and profitability, and that the goal of business and government leaders is to provide opportunities for all.
As you may have heard me say before, what benefits one of us benefits all of us. Or, as Dr. King so eloquently said, “an injury to justice anywhere is an injury to justice everywhere.”
Dr. King and our former Chairman and CEO, J.I. Miller, shared a dream of a society where justice is fully experienced by all. Where every person is treated with dignity and respect. Where everyone feels valued. Now more than ever, we have to fight for that dream and hold ourselves accountable for our role in bringing it to fruition.
I want to challenge you to think about your own stakeholders – your family and friends, your communities, your country – and what you are doing to create a fair and inclusive environment. How can you take our values system and amplify that impact? How can you further Dr. King’s vision and legacy?
As we enter 2020 and this exciting new decade, we have to recommit ourselves in fresh ways to actively seek inclusive justice for everyone in all walks of life locally and globally. It starts with you. It starts with me. We can be at the forefront of creating a caring, inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.
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